Skirt-lifter.



N0. 64$,I86. Patented Apr. 24, I900. M. H. G. BUUTINEAU.

SKIRT LIFTER.

(Application filed Dec. 19, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNITE STATES,

PATENT OFFICE,

MAXIME HONOR]? GODFROY BOUTINEAU, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

,SKI RT-LIFTEIR;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,186, dated April 24, 1900.

I Application filed December 19,1898. $erial No. 699,634. (No model.)

T at whom it 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, 'MAXIME HoNoRn Gon- FROY BOUTINEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements.

in SkirtSupporters, of which the-following is tended, an especial object of the invention Y being to provide such a device as will not only be detachable when desired, but also which either when in use or not in use will be free from any tendency to become dislodged from positionor catch on adjoining or passing objects and which, nevertheless, will be perfect and efficient in its primary mode of operation.

The invention is fully disclosed in the followingspecification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which Figure 1 is a front view of a'belt provided with my improved skirt-supports, and Fig. 2 a partialsection on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same numerals of reference in each of the views, and in said draw ings I have shown at 5 an ordinary belt pro-, vided with the usual buckle, 6, and in the prac-' tice of my invention I secure to said belt at different points ornamental ordinary knobhooks '7, which may be of any desired form and which are preferably similar in form to ordinary shoe or glove hooks, and said hooks are provided with eyelets S, which pass through the belt 5 and by means of which they are secured to said belt.

I also provide short flat straps 9, which are provided at their upper ends with eyelets 10, by means of which they are suspended from the hooks 7, and said straps are provided at their lower ends with rings l1, from which are suspended spring-clamps 12 of any preferred form or construction.

The spring-cla mps 12, as shown in the draw ings, are yoke-shaped in form and provided with a sliding ring 13. The lower end of each side of said yokeshaped clamps is provided with a circular head 14, having an inwardlydirected flange or rim 15, and one of said heads carries a rubber cushion 16, which is adapted to be pressed upon by the opposite head, and in practice the material of the skirt is inserted between said heads, and the object I from the. foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the following statement thereof.

of the rubber cushion 16 is to prevent injury Thestraps 9 may be detached from the belt and only connected therewith when desired to support the skirt or to raise the same, and the belt5 may be used independently of said straps or supporting" devices. ever it is so desired, the straps 9 may beconnected with the hooks 7, and the skirt may be raised at diffcrentpoints and the clamps 2 secured thereto, and it will be apparent Whem that the bottom of the skirt may thus be held at any desired point of elevation.

It will be seen that by. the construction which I have described and which is shown in' the drawings the short fiat straps 9 lie against the surface of the belt and of the skirt, and while they are capable of a species of pivotal motion upon the hooks 7 it will particularly be noted that the main pivotal point of the clamps .12 is upon the rings ,11.

In practicethe function, operation, and ad-.

vantages of'this construction are that the straps do not swing with the weight of the clamps; but said clamps will swing only upon the rings 11, and any movement of the flat straps 9 will simply be a change of angularposition with respect to the hooks 7, according to what portion of the skirt they are con nected to,through the medium of said clamps. It is thus quite impossible for these devices embodying my invention to catch on any passing object, as would be the case were they simply uniform swinging connections. More ever, the pivotal connection of the clamps upon the rings 11 is so perfectly free that any desired adjustment of the position of the too clamps to engage any portion of the skirt is thereby rendered possible, notwithstanding the shortness of the connecting-straps 9, and it will be seen that the whole construction cooperates to prevent an unequal maximum of efficiency and of compactness.

My improved skirt-supporter is simple in construction and operation, and it will be apparent that changes in and modifications of the construction described may be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

I am aware that belts have heretofore been provided with means for supporting a skirt or holding the skirt in a raised position. In

my improvement the hooks which are employed are connected with the belt at regular intervals and are of the ordinary knob pattern, and said hooks serve to decorate or ornament the belt when the suspending-straps are not employed.

Having fully described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A dress-supporter comprising a belt having hooks secured toit and straps of such length as to bear on and of such width as to remain flat on the hip portions of the skirt, each provided with an eyelet engaging a hook of the belt and bearing flatly against the belt and at the other end with a ring secured fiatwise of the strip, and clamps having eyes engaging the rings crosswise and having jaw-faces at a right angle to their eyes, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 17th day of December, 1898.

MAXIME HONORE GODFROY BOUTINEAU.

\Vitnesses:

F. A. STEWART, A. 0-. McLoUGHLIN. 

